Land of Fruit and Nuts

I love granola. It's one of the staple items on my shelf, to sprinkle on Greek yogurt with fresh fruit on top for breakfast, or as a late-night snack with milk. This month's Body & Soul magazine had a good looking recipe with a few variations, so I hit the bulk foods section of the grocery store and the dried fruit stand at the farmers' market and was good to go.

I had to add extra honey because the nuts I used were roasted and salted - try to find raw unsalted nuts and you can keep the sweetener to a minimum. This recipe makes a lot, so pack some up in bags for gifts!

Pistachio & Cherry Granola

• 6 C. old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/4 C. shelled pistachio nuts
• 1/4 C. sunflower seeds
• 1/3 C. flaxseed meal, wheat germ, or a mixture of the two
• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 t. kosher salt
• 3/4 C. sweetener, such as honey, agave syrup, or molasses
• 1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 C. dried cherries
• 1/2 C. unsweetened toasted coconut

Preheat the oven to 35o degrees.

Combine the oats, nuts, seeds, flax and/or wheat germ in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk egg whites and salt until frothy. Whisk in the sweetener and add the olive oil.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until the oats are evenly coated.

Transfer the mixture to two rimmed baking sheets and spread flat.

Bake for 20 minutes, then gently flip with a spatula, movie granola from the outer edges to the center of the sheet.

Continue to cook until golden, about 10 minutes more.

Cool completely on pan, then transfer to a bowl and gently stir in the dried fruit and coconut.

Update 4/8: I made another version that I also loved, using slivered almonds in place of the pistachios, raw unsalted pepitas in place of the sunflower seeds, crisped rice in place of the coconut, and currants in place of the cherries. I also toasted it a little longer and it was delicious!

Very Simple Granola

The deli, where I got my lunch almost everyday before the office moved, carries these yogurt parfaits. They are layers of plain Greek yogurt, slices of very lightly baked apples, honey, granola and topped with chopped fresh apples. They were meant to be breakfast. So by lunch time, there would only be one or two cups left, if I was lucky. I usually had them as afternoon snacks instead of getting candies from the evil vending machine.

About a week ago, the office moved 10 blocks north from 32nd Street to 40th Street - the land of cafes/delis/and lunch places. Since then, I have visited about 20 delis looking for something similar to the apple yogurt parfait. What I found were either overly sweetened yogurt with a few pieces of fruit and soggy granola or watery yogurt with chunks of cantaloupe and pineapples. Why you would want to add watery fruit to watery yogurt, I have no idea.

So I set out to make my own. Start with the granola - which was just lightly sweetened toasted oats. No nuts or dry fruit or any extra stuff. I came up with this recipe with just 4 ingredients: oatmeal, Agave nectar, oil and vanilla. The granola is very good on its own with either just milk or yogurt. But I like it best with honey and berries/chopped apples/chopped pears. I haven't tried with baked apples yet. So I can't say I succeed what I set out to do.



Ingredients

• 4 cups traditional oatmeal (320 g)


• 1/3 cup Agave nectar (95 g)


• 1/4 cup light tasting olive oil (40 g)


• 1 vanilla bean (or a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract)

Directions

1. Adjust the oven racks to top 3rd and lower 3rd. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.


2. Whisk Agave nectar with oil. Scrape vanilla bean into the mixture. Mix well. Add oatmeal. Stir until well combined and pieces of oatmeal are wet.


3. Divide into the two baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the granola is golden brown. Stir, rotate and switch the pan after 8 minutes.


4. Let cool completely in the pans and store in airtight container.

Honey Nut Granola

I had two staples breakfast during my trip in Mexico: scrambled eggs with tortillas and beans, or granola with fresh fruit and yogurt. Here's how they served me the yogurt-granola-fruit combo: HUGE bowl of delicious fresh fruit (all kinds of fruit including pineapple and watermelon...), a tablespoon of yogurt, and about a teaspoon of granola sprinkled on top.

I guess that's a good and healthy way to eat. But I couldn't help missing a big bowl of granola with tons of yogurt and three pieces of fruit. So the first thing I baked when I got to my kitchen was this:



This granola is different from what I usually make as it contains a lot more nuts and is sweetened by honey. The result is super crunchy and slightly sweeter granola.

Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats


• 1/2 cup oat bran


• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds


• 1 cup sliced almonds


• 1 cup chopped pecans


• 1/2 cup honey


• 1/3 cup light tasting olive oil


• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper 3rd and lower 3rd of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


2. In a large bowl, combine oats, bran, flax, and nuts together.


3. In a small bowl, whisk honey, oil and vanilla together. Pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until everything is wet.


4. Distribute evenly on 2 greased or non-stick baking sheets (I used silicone mats) and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Stir and rotate pans after 5 minutes.


5. Let cool completely and store in air-tight containers.

Walnut and Date Granola

I don't know why I don't make this all the time. It's so good and good for me. Maybe because I won't make/eat other food while I have this around the house. It's great with fresh fruit and yogurt, with soy milk for breakfast (and sometimes lunch and dinner) or just on it's own when I want something crunchy to chew.



Ingredients

• 3 cups old fashioned oats


• 1/3 cup oat bran


• 1/3 cup wheat germ or ground flax seed


• 1 cup walnuts - chopped


• 2 tablespoons light tasting olive oil


• 1/4 cup apple sauce


• 1/4 cup brown sugar


• 1 cup dates - each cut horizontally into 4 pieces


• About 1/4 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


2. In a large bowl, stir oats, bran, wheat germ and walnuts together.


3. In a small bowl, whisk oil, apple sauce and brown sugar. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix.


4. Distribute evenly in a greased or non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir. And bake for 10 more minutes or until golden.


5. Stir in dates. Drizzle honey over the granola. Stir. Let cool completely and store in air-tight container.

Homemade Granola - Update

I have been making this granola recipe for quite a while - every time with something slightly different. But for the last 10 or so batches, I have settled to this strategy: more oats, less coconut and nuts and no dry fruit because I often eat my granola with fresh fruit and yogurt. I also bake it at a higher temperature (350 degrees) for shorter time (10 minutes.) So now I get more granola in less time!



Ingredients

• 3 generous cups of rolled oats


• 1/4 cup oat bran


• 1/4 cup ground flax seed


• 1/4 cup sesame seeds


• 1/4 cup unsweetened dry coconut flakes


• 1/4 cup sliced almonds (or other chopped nuts)


• 1/4 cup extra light tasting olive oil


• 1/4 cup Agave nectar


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. In a large bowl, toss all the dry ingredients together.


3. In a small bowl, whisk oil, Agave nectar and vanilla extract and pour over the dry mixture. Stir until well distributed.


4. Spread the granola on a large baking sheet with rims. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir the granola to keep it baked evenly after 5 minutes in the oven.


5. Let cool completely and store in an air tight container.

Banana Pecan Granola Bars

I have been buying a lot of energy bars on my way walking from work to train Kungfu. Since I already make my own granola, I thought it shouldn't be that hard to shape it into bars. I would just add honey and something wet to hold everything together.



My bars came out not bad. But I wouldn't say they are as good as those Cliff or Luna bars from stores. Maybe I need to add more fat and sugar. That always makes food taste and look better.



Ingredients

• 2 cups quick cooking oatmeal


• 1/4 cup unsweetened dry coconut


• 1/4 cup sesame seeds


• 1/4 cup oat bran


• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds


• 1/2 cup raisins


• 1 cup chopped pecan


• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• 1/4 cup extra tasting olive oil


• 1/2 cup honey


• 1/4 cup Agave nectar


• 1 large banana - mashed


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lin a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper.


2. Whisk oatmeal, coconut, sesame seeds, oat bran, flax, raisins, pecan and cinnamon togehter in a large bowl.


3. In a small bowl, whisk oil, honey, Agave nectar, banana and vanilla.


4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Thoroughly mix everything together and press into the prepared pan.


5. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into bars.

Apple Spiced Granola

It's time to try a new granola recipe. I need to come up with more granola recipes if I want to open my seaside breakfast/book exchange place of my dream. Consider this a research....



Starting with my based recipe, I skipped coconut flakes, added more oat meal and about 1/2 cup of apple sauce. I used very little oil and a bout a teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ginger. I'm still not very happy with the result.

It come out a little wet and not very crunchy. Maybe I'll need to use honey as a binder the next time.

Need more research.

Cocoa Black Sesame Granola

I'm having fun making my own granola. It's like I'm discovering a new realm of baking where everything goes. I can just toss whatever I wish with rolled oats and nuts - and I get delicious and seemingly healthy breakfast/snack/gift.

Based on my staple recipe for granola, I added cocoa powder, substituted black sesame for toasted sesame, reduced the amount of oil and I get this delicious and satisfying granola.



Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats


• 1/4 cup oat bran


• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds


• 1/4 cup black sesame seeds


• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder


• 1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds


• 2 tablespoons extra light tasting olive oil


• 1/4 cup Agave nectar


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.


2. In a large bowl, toss all the dry ingredients together.


3. In a small bowl, whisk oil, Agave nectar and vanilla extract.


4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined.


5. Bake in a baking pan for 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes to keep the granola loose and evenly baked. Let cool and store in an air-tight container.

Homemade Granola

I have been meaning to make granola. It doesn't look difficult. You just toss all kinds of grains with sugar and oil, then bake and then add dried fruit. They cost six dollars a box at my supermarket. I refuse to pay. I'm making my own granola.



Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats


• 1/4 cup oat bran


• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds


• 1/4 cup sesame seeds


• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes


• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts


• 1/4 cup extra light olive oil


• 1/4 cup Agave nectar


• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees


2. Toss all the grains, coconut and peanuts in oil and agave nectar


3. Spread in a baking pan, and bake for 30 minutes. Stir to keep the ingredients loose and evenly baked every 10 minutes.


4. Toss in the raisins after the granola cools. Keep in airtight containers.